-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla LJ Maehl of Fort Dodge goes up for a spike against Ames on Tuesday

The Fort Dodge volleyball team was right there with Ames here Tuesday night through the first half of each set.

In the end, though, the Little Cyclones used strong finishes to secure a sweep inside the Dodger gym and claim the Iowa Alliance North division title.

Scores were 25-17, 25-16 and 25-19.

“We’re too much like a rollercoaster,” FDSH co-head coach Beth Wilder said. “The moments are high and we look phenomenal, but then it’s like it never carries over to the next play and the next play and the next play.

“Once we figure that out, we’re going to be really good.”

Ames (13-13 overall, 4-0 in conference) lost just two sets in four league matches this year, also claiming a sweep over the Dodgers (7-13, 2-2) at the Boone Tournament.

Fort Dodge was led by Meah McCaleb and Cadence Touney, as the seniors combined for 15 kills. McCaleb had eight with an ace while Touney registered seven with a block.

LJ Maehl had three kills and two blocks, Grace Behrens recorded two blocks and Ellie Doster had a kill with an ace. The Dodgers committed just four service errors on the night, but saw their three-match win streak come to an end.

“Ames is a very good team that doesn’t give up on the ball ever,” FDSH co-head coach Julie Astor said. “They pass the right way and they use the correct angles. They are doing things that we just aren’t doing on the court.”

For the Little Cyclones, Aleh Mewanu had a match-high 10 kills with Elizabeth Greenfield adding seven and Sydney Smalley six. Ames picked up 10 aces, including three from Kenzie Bristow.

Down 15-13 in the opening set, the Little Cyclones closed things out on a 12-2 run that included nine straight points. They did the same in the second, finishing things off on a 9-3 rally.

A 7-0 run midway through the third provided enough cushion to send Ames to the sweep and the fourth straight win in the series. The Little Cyclones have now won 22 of the last 27 meetings since 2008.

“It’s a fight out there and we have to learn to compete,” Wilder said. “It’s like we get to a point where we start second-guessing ourselves instead of just reacting.”

Fort Dodge heads to Indianola this Saturday for tournament play alongside the fifth-ranked (Class 5A) Indians, Ballard, 14th-rated (3A) Clarinda, Urbandale, Perry, No. 7 (4A) Glenwood and Cedar Rapids Kennedy beginning at 8:30 a.m.